1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in an aerosol for use in the reduction of tobacco smoking, and more particularly to an aerosol which uses a food acid in non-toxic amounts, but sufficient in content and having proper particle size to simulate sensations in the respiratory tract which would normally be caused by tobacco smoke.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, with the recognition of the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, there have been numerous campaigns and programs by governmental agencies and various health groups and other interested organizations to disseminate information about the adverse health effects resulting from tobacco smoking. Moreover, and as a result of this recognition of the harmful effects, there have been many programs directed to attempts in reducing smoking incidence.
The present successes in achieving reduction in the incidence of smoking have been relatively poor with presently known techniques. The present state of the art involves both behavioral approaches and pharmacological approaches. Approximately 80% or more of the tobacco smokers who initially quit smoking after using some behavioral or pharmacological approach to singly reduce smoking incidence, generally ralapse and return to the habit of smoking at their former rate of smoking within about a one year's period of time.
One of the most successful approaches to date in reducing the incidence of smoking relies upon nicotine containing chewing gum which is designed to reduce smoking withdrawal symptoms. The reported success rate, while still relatively low is approximately twice that of the other methods which have heretofore been employed. The use of the nicotine gum suffers from several problems including not only the bad taste and destruction of dental appliances, but the gastrointestinal upset which results therefrom and which also reduces compliance. In addition, it has been found that the nicotine containing gum does not satisfy the craving that most smokers experience for the distinct sensations in the throat and chest elicited by nicotine in the smoke. Over the course of many years of tobacco smoking, these particular sensations have become an important part of and associated with the habit of smokers and give rise to tobacco smoke dependency in most of the tobacco smokers.
The circulatory effects of nicotine aerosol inhalations have been studied as set forth in the Oct. 7, 1967 edition of the Lancet, pages 754-755. In this case, large doses of nicotine aerosols were applied to selected individuals in order to determine the effects on the individuals. Further, circadian blood nicotine concentrations have been studied as a result of cigarette smoking, as reported in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, December 1982, in an article by Neal L. Benowitz, M.D., pages 758-764.
A citric acid aerosol spray has been used for assessing the degree of airway anesthesia on the magnitude of added inspiratory load in the respiratory tract of individuals, as reported in "The Effects Of Airway Anesthesia on Magnitude Estimation of Added Inspiratory Resistive and Elastic Loads" by N. K. Burki et al, the American Review of Respiratory Diseases, 127, 2-4, 1983. In this case, the adequacy of airway anesthesia was assessed by absence of any cough in response to inhalation of a nebulized 20% solution of citric acid.
Heretofore, there has not been any attempt to use a food acid aerosol spray, as for example, a citric acid aerosol spray, in order to aid in the reduction of incidence of tobacco smoking.